Brian @FrontRowBrian Major story breaking in Atlanta. Anderson Silva has told Dana White he NOT fight Chael Sonnen unless it's in Brazil. @FrontRowBrian UFC147 presser in Rio on 4 Tues. Anderson will be present. Dana will announce date change to Vegas. Dana will fire AS if he declines fight @FrontRowBrian Should Anderson be fired, Sonnen v. @Bisping II is the back up plan for July 7 for the belt @FrontRowBrian Uncle Dana is beyond frustrated with Anderson. Let's see if he can convince Anderson to fight in Vegas. Dana playing hardball

Can someone tell me if this FrontRowBrian is credible? If so i think it's BS. Anderson has spent the majority of his career fighting in the US to boos. I think UFC should let the man fight in Brazil for his last few fights before he retires. Floyd and Manny get to pick all types of things they want or don't, why should the spider?

found link here btw http://slumz.boxden.com/f16/anderson-silva-wont-fight-chael-unless-brazil-dana-says-hell-fire-him-if-he-doesnt-1738981/

UFC 145- Jon "Bones" Jones Vs. "Suga" Rashad Evans
Great story here. Jones coming off arguably the greatest year in MMA. Against the last man left in the LHW division that has a legitimate chance of beating him

UFC 146- Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos Vs. Alistair "The Reem" Overeem Another great fight here. Possibly one of the best heavyweight title fights ever. Both incredible strikers, however the Reem coming off a great year earning the most prestigious title a striker can hold.

UFC 147- Anderson "the Spider" Silva Vs. Chael "TRT Super Saiyan" Sonnen II Not much needs to be said about this fight. Rematch that has been long in the making. Will be lots of trash talked on one end. And will finally put to rest if what Chael did was only because Anderson wanted to teach him a BJJ lesson. Also Andersons "Like Water" movie will debut sometime in May or March in films through lions gate, so a Primetime may not really be necessary. Then again it may be considering the Paq and Mayweather fight happening in the same month.



The producers of Primetime recently said that the UFC plans to do about four per year. So with one already being done all three of these great match ups can't get their own primetime which i personally think they all deserve. So I ask which one fight should get it?

Poll

Which fight deserves the next Primetime treatment?

• UFC 145- Jon "Bones" Jones Vs. "Suga" Rashad Evans
• UFC 146- Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos Vs. Alistair "The Reem" Overeem
• UFC 147- Anderson "the Spider" Silva Vs. Chael "TRT Super Saiyan" Sonnen II

  176 votes | Results

Just as in Anderson Silva Vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 the UFC had a terrific fight that was so good, it was demanded by fans to see it again. Just as the immediate rematch was about to be made, Chael however was suspended by the CSAC for elevated testosterone levels, and on top of that he was convicted for money laundering. Imagine that closely contested bout ended with Chael getting the decision...The UFC would have been embarrassed with a this man as their Champion. His title would have been stripped from him and the whole ordeal would have been twice as ugly as it was.

Jump to UFC 143, we have Nick Diaz facing off against Greg Jacksons own Carlos Condit. This was also a hotly contested bout but as Compustrike and Fightmetric numbers have shown us Carlos Condit clearly won that fight. The only way Diaz won that fight was in the eyes of the same judges who gave Garcia the W against KZ. Yes he walked forward...but he did not control that fight. As you see i think Carlos won due to better execution even if it was a rather boring and deceitful game plan to the fans. With figthers twittering that Diaz won and most journalist considering Carlos the winner this bout was all but set for a rematch before GSP returned...Diaz however had to do what he's expected to and test positive for an illegal substance. Now just imagine if we won...The fight between him and GSP being hyped...maybe GSP coming in the cage...promo getting started thinking about another blowout in Toronto...and boom Diaz is out for a year. Glad Carlos won to save us the headache of having to see UFC scramble to find someone to fight GSP in Nov.

Main event with a lighter weight. I know they like to put contenders on here so the next card should feature

Nate Diaz V Jim Miller

Renan Barao V Miguel Torres (His UFC 145 bout should be scrapped)

And if they are putting three again then maybe some 85ers like Belcher and Bisping or something i dont really know about the third but i think the Main events should definitely feature some lighter weight guys wouldn't have the people leaving the arena mid fight.

I think this is one of the factors that people are leaving out. That and what the UFC definitely will not include in any of they're assessments is the fact that Bellator should be scrutinized just as thoroughly since they are now backed by Viacom they can afford to pay the fighters more than Zuffa. Or maybe the UFC should discontinue the undisclosed bonuses that Sean M. has just shed some light on in order to increase pay.

So does anybody think legalization, recent Chinese scouting, and expansion in general?

 

via www.sportsnewscaster.com

via www.5thround.com

 

For the hardest of hardcore fans Bellator is a great product.  I mean lets face it, if you can find time to watch every UFC event, most would consider you a hardcore fan.  If you can find even more time than the 107 hours of Zuffa MMA, then you my friend, are the hardest of hardcore MMA fan. For upcoming fighters it's an even better platform to showcase your skills, build your name and fight some really great prospects along with veterans who are trying to re-establish themselves on live television.  With ufc programming moving away from Spike in 2012, things seemed to look positive for BFC.  Bellator is now ten months into it's three year deal with MTV2 and ratings have reached an all time low.  The logical next step would be for MTV2's parent company Viacom to bring MMA to Spike once Zuffa leaves at the top of 2012. It would be the perfect move to keep MMA on a channel that has had it for the past ten years. With a day switch from Saturday to a Wednesday or Thursday a move to Spike, BFC could be revived in 2012. 

One problem...UFC and Spike have a contract stipulation that in short, only allows Spike to televise MMA in the form of old UFC, if Zuffa does not buy back their library for the year of 2012.  If Zuffa does buy it back than Spike would be free to show live MMA events of their choice.  Dana has stated that Zuffa will not buy back the library which in turn blocks BFC in their pivotal sink or swim upcoming year. Although I am sure Bellator will continue putting on solid shows on MTV2, with ratings like 103,000 viewers for their live event or with a day change that may push them up to 113,000 viewers it will not be enough to reach mid 2012 and call it a success.  

Although Zuffa already has thirty four shows planned for 2012 the one thing Dana states is " we need more fighters". With a purchase of Bellator, the following would be extremely beneficial to the MMA community. 

 

1. Champions could come into the UFC and automatically be "in the mix" after one title defense or as Dana and Lorenzo see fit.
2. With the international TUF project underway it would provide credible coaches with champions from Bellator facing off against a UFC vet. 
3. Help develop the lighter weight classes with fresh talent as champions come over as seasons pass. 
4. Keep women's MMA alive on bigger stage and also help grow their weight classes. 
5. Add a more legitimate feeder the the UFC since Spike caters more towards the casuals and what Spike and soon FX will choose for ratings.

After listening to Helwani's interview with Zach Makovsky, Bellators Bantamweight Champion, the only complaint of his is that fighters make more money during the tournament than after they become champion, because they do not fight as much.  The move to UFC as champion would solve that problem, except for the women will still be adding depth to their divisions and in time could also move to the UFC.  It would make Zuffa an even more dominant force here in America however organizations like Bamma, MFC, and others with non exclusive contracts would continue to help fighters develop. 

Although Strikeforce is also a Zuffa owned MMA company making it a feeder league would not legitimize the fighters that would come through it.  Although the challengers series did build up fighters like Cormier and Woodly, a tournament format would be a much more appropriate way to allow fighters to earn their way to the big leagues.  Strikeforce has also make a name on making freakshow fights with co-main events featuring H. Walker. Spike would also be comfortable fit for Zuffa to get back in bed with, considering that Dana has said in numerous interviews that their relationship with Spike execs is just fine. 

 

 

Recently Chael said this on his twitter

via i55.tinypic.com

 

 

"You're lucky your brother Joe's the matchmaker or you'd be sellin' barbecued monkey on the street in Manaus."

and as usual many fans embrace and applaud it.

Cultural Insensitivity? Lets call Racism racism...If Chuck Liddell said

"You're lucky your brother Joe's the matchmaker or you'd be pickin' cotton in Alabama."

about Rampage then the same fans who appreciate what Chael is saying would appreciate that...

 Its more than insensitivity its about a underlying insecurity many whites have had since the days of not having a competitive/dominant/exciting white champion. Hence why many of MMA's fans did not cross over from boxing, But rather always wanted a combat sport that they could relate to. And with MMA Combat sports now is fair ground for all races. Either way i dont think Chaels racist comments should be as accepted as they are, seeing how many supporters Chael has.

via mmaweekly.com

With UFC's current expansion rate going into each country guns a blazing, why not just do a  fight for the troops instead of "fight nights". It draws more public attention in the new market, gives a chance to do a relatively small show with new guys.

Is the UFC obligated only to do shows here in the states? Would it seem like treachery to appreciate another countries troops?

I think it'd be a great idea...you?

Does anyone have any info on how they turned out?

I always wondered why they chose to start them in California and not somewhere like Toronto, Montreal or Australia where tickets sell out in hours and fans are obviously rabid for UFC product.

If the idea was to start them out in the states it would still seem like there would be better places to begin.  Las Vegas, Philly, New York just to name a few.

via media.ufc.tv

 

via www.newsday.com

 

Well Patrick Barry asked for it after his last win over long time training partner Antoni Hardonk, he asked for another standup test in Cheick Kongo.

Frank Mir mentioned in the Countdown that Chieck is coming off a loss and is on his way out of the UFC if he looses this fight and i thought that was premature but a loss to Patrick Barry would definitely send him packing. 

 via fiveouncesofpain.com

 

via www.grapplearts.com

 

Tonight Ben Henderson was put in incredibly good submissions and continued to raise his thumb and stay relaxed.  I couldn’t help but wonder how he could survive such excellent textbook applied submissions.  The only reason besides natural flexibility that I could think of was a interview  with purefight.org he did recently in which he said:

“it’s a good way to lose water weight , I started doing it as a senior in Nebraska”

His patience and tranquility during each of the cowboys submissions was incredible.  Although it didn’t stop Cerrone’s from attempting submissions it did render many ineffective allowing Saunders to wait for him to fatigue.  It also allowed him to step over the Cowboy while in odd positions. Stephen Kesting put it best here: 

Relaxation and Recovery:

“Yoga teaches you to only contract the muscles and muscle groups required to hold a posture and to relax all the other muscles, which has direct applications to grappling.”

Flexibility:

 “While it takes special dedication and extraordinary genetics to become as flexible as Nino Schembri, anybody can become more flexible using yoga.Leg, hip and torso flexibility are very useful in dynamic, aggressive grappling.”

Breathing:

"6th degree Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt, Marcus Soares, feels that one of the main benefits of yoga is that it teaches you how to keep on breathing while in contorted positions."

 If other fighters applied this to their game I could see either an evolution in BJJ in which being good will not cut it anymore and/or strikers combining mediocre BJJ with yoga and being able to escape and keep the fight standing.

via manoamanocombat.grantproposalservices.com

Should Miguel Torres join an organization like Dream or SRC (Sengoku).  Following his recent loss and Zuffa’s hesitation to move the the 135 pound division along with the 145 pound division into the UFC, which seemingly only has positive results for the UFC and the fighters in the respective divisions.

 

Leland Rolling stated a few here:

 

Not only does a merge fix the problem regarding pay that fighters continue to complain about, but sponsorship dollars also increase for those fighters. It also solves issues in which the UFC loses main event status fighters due to injuries, signing on for the A-Team movie, or losing spectacularly toward the end of their career. 

 

I would be happy to see Miguel Torres negotions with Zuffa (WEC) fail and negotions with a Japanese promotion succeed.

 

 

If Torres and other top fighters from WEC did this it would force Zuffa to take action and move the divisions into the UFC and keep WEC as a feeder league to keep fighters like Stephan Bonnar fighting. 

 

 

I think a exciting fighter like Torres and many other WEC fighters would be very popular in Japan because of their fast pace fighting style and his size wouldn’t be an issue.  

 

Edit: Or Bellator Fighting Championships 

Poll

Should Miguel Torres and other top 135lb and 145lb division fighters go to Japan to seek more money and to send a message to Zuffa brass?

79%

Yes: Force Zuffa to move these divisions to UFC

122 votes

20%

No: Fighters should be loyal to Zuffa (WEC) and wait it out. WEC will be as big as the UFC one day...

32 votes

154 votes | Poll has closed

If you go to any MMA gym here in the states or pretty much anywhere on the western part of the world you will find a gym that practices three diciplines, Muay Thai, Wrestling and BJJ.  I understand that in MMA a person must have a stand up base, some sort of wrestling base and some submission skills, but why must it be the EXACT SAME $H*T everywhere? There is no reason that our quality Traditional Martial Art Schools cannot add some type of wrestling (sumo etc) and bjj to their already effective stand up art whether it be Taekwondo, Capoeira, Wing Chun or Karate...

Was the UFC not started by people who watched Bloodsport and wanted to see how it would look in real life? Didn’t the fans want to watch DIFFERENT styles compete against each other to know what style is most effective? If the answer is yes then why are we developing a style that makes each person know exactly what to expect from the other and in essence everybody fight the exact same and use the exact same techniques? That’s not what i signed up for when i became an MMA fan in the 90’s.

 

Forrest Griffin is an example of a complete TMMA, he has good Muay Thai, BJJ, and Wrestling. However because he doesn’t have a primary art that he is great at I do not think he will ever have the Championship Belt again.

 

 

Fighters like Fedor Emelianenko, Anderson Silva, and Lyoto Machida bring the Mixed to MMA.  Each of these fighters are masters in their own discipline but have added other arts only to use their art more effectively and to then force their primary art onto others who do not know how to defend against it because if they are not facing this Western TMMA.

 

Thank you to Kid Nate for introducing the word or idea of TMMA 

Lyoto Machida is a harbinger of fighters successfully applying exotic martial arts techniques to MMA and I would argue that the key is his mastery of disciplines like jiu jitsu, Muay Thai and wrestling -- the traditional base of MMA fighters.

Honorable Mention: The guy who used Capoeira in MMA. This is what I signed up for when i heard about the UFC in the 90’s 

via i41.tinypic.com